All of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes in one place! Find our popular turkey recipe, 40+ side dishes, and a helpful timeline for a stress-free holiday.
Thanksgiving is one of our favorite food holidays, and we’ve gathered everything you need to make it feel easy and memorable. Whether you are hosting a few or a crowd, we’ve shared everything you need below. I especially love the Thanksgiving schedule I created to keep my sanity in check, and hopefully, you’ll find it super helpful, too.
And, of course, you’ll find all of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, including our favorite roast turkey, homemade pies, the best Thanksgiving sides, salads, and cocktails/mocktails. We created this guide for ourselves so we have everything in one place, and I hope it will also become your go-to source for a delicious, stress-free Thanksgiving dinner.
How to Roast the Best Thanksgiving Turkey
If you make just one recipe from us this year, let it be this one. Our foolproof roast turkey recipe turns out juicy, golden brown, and so flavorful thanks to the outrageous amount of garlic and herb butter we rub all over it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Definitely the best turkey I’ve ever made and likely the best I’ve ever eaten too!!” – Mark, one of our readers!
For smaller gatherings, try our garlic herb roasted turkey breast, which is just as flavorful and much faster to cook.
Tip → I highly recommend using our turkey brine and turkey gravy for the most delicious results.
My Thanksgiving Prep Timeline
If you’re like us, you don’t roast many turkeys throughout the year. Most of us really only make them around the holidays. That’s why I put together this simple schedule, to remind myself of when to prep different dishes for the big day.
We’ll use Thursday as the goal (Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.), but you can shift these days to fit your own schedule.
The Weekend Before (Saturday–Sunday)
- Plan your menu and make your grocery list. Check your pantry for staples like flour, sugar, butter, broth, and spices. If you are brining a turkey, buy a brine bag so you have it ready!
- Shop for your ingredients. Buying early means you’ll have your pick of turkeys, herbs, and produce.
- Start thawing your turkey if it’s frozen (see my turkey thawing tips here). A 15-pound bird takes 3 to 4 days in the fridge to thaw.
Monday
- Brine your turkey. Yep, we brine our bird and love it. Our detailed recipe and video walk you through the process here: Incredible Turkey Brine.
- Make-ahead desserts and pie dough. You can bake pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, or pecan pie now and refrigerate them for a few days. Apple pie or crisps are best baked closer to serving, but you can prepare the pie crust or crumb topping today (just keep them in the fridge).
- Prep sauces and condiments. Make your cranberry sauce and refrigerate (it keeps for a week).
Tuesday
- Chop and prep vegetables. Dice onions, celery, and carrots for stuffing or soups, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make salad dressings and vinaigrettes. Store them in jars and refrigerate.
- If making rolls or bread, prep the dough. Many doughs can rise once, then rest in the fridge until baking day.
Wednesday
- Remove the turkey from the brine. Pat it dry and let it air-dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight for perfectly crispy skin.
- Assemble casseroles and sides. You can prep the green bean casserole and stuffing today. Keep them unbaked, covered, and refrigerated overnight. Mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes are best made completely, then stored in the fridge and reheated tomorrow with a bit of extra butter or cream.
- Finish desserts. Bake fruit pies, cobblers, or crisps today so they’re fresh but not hot from the oven on Thursday. Once cooled, store fruit pies and crisps loosely covered at room temperature, custard pies (like pumpkin or sweet potato) in the fridge, and cream pies covered and refrigerated until serving.
- Set the table. Get your serving dishes, platters, and utensils ready. It makes the next day so much easier.
Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)
- Roast the turkey. Allow about 14 minutes per pound at 325°F. Use a thermometer to confirm doneness (aim for 165°F at the thickest part of the breast).
- Bake or Reheat sides. Bake any prepped casseroles, like green bean casserole or stuffing. Then, warm fully cooked dishes, such as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rolls, in the oven while the turkey rests.
- Make gravy. Use your turkey drippings or warm make-ahead gravy on the stove if you prepped it earlier.
- Whip cream and finish desserts. Unless you are serving cream pies, most pies are best at room temperature. Make whipped cream, then cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Pour drinks, relax, and enjoy.
Planning Your Thanksgiving Menu
Before diving into the cooking, it helps to make a simple plan. So, here’s a little about about portions, sides, and desserts. Remember that some of the best Thanksgiving dinners feature dishes brought by multiple guests, so don’t hesitate to ask for help and make it a potluck-style dinner!
How Large Should My Turkey Be?
Since sharing our turkey recipe, we’ve gotten this question every year! Assuming you are roasting a bone-in, whole bird, plan 1 to 1½ pounds per person so everyone’s covered (and you’ll still have leftovers for sandwiches or soup).
- Smaller gatherings (4 to 6 people): A bone-in turkey breast is the perfect size and cooks faster than a whole bird. Try our Roasted Turkey Breast.
- Medium gatherings (8 to 12 people): A 12- to 16-pound turkey is perfect.
- Large gatherings (12+ people): Roast one large bird or two smaller turkeys side by side for more even cooking. Our Thanksgiving turkey recipe is perfect for a 12- to 20-pound turkey, so you should be good!
Tip → If you’re starting with a frozen turkey, remember to allow one day of thawing in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds.
How Much Food Should I Make?
When it comes to sides, more isn’t always better. Think about variety, and what’s easiest for you. I like choosing four to six sides, mixing up which ones I make, which to ask someone to bring, and which to buy from the store. This way, your Thanksgiving menu is complete without overwhelming your oven or you.
- One potato dish, like mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or roasted sweet potatoes.
- One or two vegetables, like green bean casserole, roasted carrots, or Brussels sprouts.
- One salad for something lighter and fresh.
- A holiday bread, biscuits, or rolls with salted butter or honey butter (easy and so good).
- One or two sauces, like homemade gravy and cranberry sauce.
- Then, plan for one dessert for every 6 to 8 guests!
Okay, now let’s get into the recipes! I know this is a lot, so don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can come back to it!
Classic Thanksgiving Sides
I’m all for experimentation, but when it comes to Thanksgiving side dishes, I think everyone genuinely looks forward to the same things. Here are our top picks:
Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
This is hands down my family’s favorite mashed potatoes, and we use it for everyday dinners as well as during the holidays!
Seriously Good Mushroom Stuffing
In our family, the table isn’t complete without stuffing and we all love this homemade mushroom stuffing made fresh mushrooms. It’s also vegan if you are entertaining any non-meat eaters.
Easy Herb Stuffing
This is a more classic homemade stuffing, and it really is perfect for Thanksgiving!
Green Bean Casserole
We make this green bean casserole from scratch with fresh green beans, a creamy mushroom sauce, and crispy onions.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This baked mac and cheese has the perfect sauce to pasta ratio, guaranteeing a creamy center, all topped with a layer of golden, bubbling cheese. For a fall-inspired take, we also have this pumpkin mac and cheese.
Quick and Easy Gravy
This is a perfect make-ahead gravy that you can make without any pan drippings. It’s delicious with turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies.
Homemade Turkey Gravy
Or, make this turkey gravy that calls for an simple onion broth and pan drippings from roasting your turkey.
Brie Stuffed Bread Rolls
These soft and stuffed no-knead dinner rolls will fly off the plate. Only one hour is required for rising, but nothing else. No kneading is required!
Easy Homemade Cornbread
This recipe makes the most delicious, moist, and buttery cornbread. It’s so good, I have a hard time not going back for seconds.
Homemade Biscuits
This is the most delicious homemade biscuit recipe we’ve ever made! It calls for milk or buttermilk and guarantees tall and fluffy biscuits!
Easy Cheese Drop Biscuits
You’ll love this easy cheese biscuit recipe. Simply mix, drop onto your baking sheet, and bake!
Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides
If you’re like me, my most favorite part of Thanksgiving is the sides (well, that and the gravy I pour all over them). We love veggies around here, so here’s a list of traditional (and some not so traditional) veggie sides that are perfect for your Thanksgiving table:
Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This mashed sweet potato recipe is quick, simple, super creamy, and absolutely delicious!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Ham
Our roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic and ham is incredibly good! We roast the sprouts until they are crispy, caramelized, and perfectly tender.
Easy Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
This is one of my favorite recipes for Brussels sprouts! Our sautéed Brussels sprouts with balsamic and garlic is quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.
Easy Roasted Carrots
This roasted carrots recipe has perfectly tender carrots tossed in the most delicious garlic parsley butter.
Sautéed Green Beans
This easy green bean recipe makes perfectly tender beans coated in an incredibly flavorful garlic butter sauce in just 15 minutes!
Perfect Sautéed Kale
This sautéed kale recipe is one of my favorite kale recipes! A splash of broth helps steam the kale, making it tender and bringing out its natural sweetness.
Easy Roasted Cabbage
This easy roasted cabbage is delicious and a reader favorite. As the cabbage roasts in the oven, it caramelizes, turns tender, and becomes sweet.
No Mayo Herb Potato Salad
My favorite no mayo herb potato salad recipe calls for lots of fresh herbs and swaps a creamy dressing for one made with lemon juice and olive oil.
Butter Roasted Onions
We bake whole onions in butter and herbs until they become so soft and sweet, they practically melt in your mouth.
Easy Roasted Butternut Squash
We love this roasted butternut squash recipe. We toss the squash with a touch of brown sugar and spices so it caramelizes in the oven and becomes super flavorful!
Parmesan Roasted Delicata Squash
Our parmesan roasted delicata squash is buttery, nutty, and sweet. It’s easy enough for any night of the week!
Roasted Garlic
Our oven roasted garlic recipe produces cloves that are wonderfully sweet, incredibly soft, creamy, and golden brown.
The Best Oven Roasted Potatoes
This is the easiest, most delicious oven roasted potatoes recipe. The recipe has a short ingredient list and makes wonderful crispy golden brown potatoes. We make this on repeat.
Sautéed Spinach
Our sautéed spinach recipe makes spinach that is perfectly cooked, bright green, tender, and comes together in less than 10 minutes!
Roasted Acorn Squash
This is one of my favorite squash recipes! Brown sugar roasted wedges are topped with a mixture of brown butter, cranberries, and walnuts.
Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes
We love these roasted sweet potatoes made with coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon! This recipe is a simple one. Everything happens on one baking sheet.
Maple Butter Roasted Endive
Maple syrup perfectly balances the bitterness of endive in this simple side.
Buttery Roasted Carrots
This roasted carrots recipe has perfectly tender carrots tossed in the most delicious garlic parsley butter.
Perfect Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
These smoky roasted fingerling potatoes are hands down one of my favorite potato recipes! They’re crispy, creamy in the middle, and perfectly golden brown.
Thanksgiving Salads and Slaws
I love something fresh and crunchy on the table. Here are some fall-worthy salads that are absolutely perfect for your Thanksgiving meal.
Fresh Green Bean Salad
This green bean salad recipe is one of my favorites. It combines fresh green beans, a simple shallot dressing, and crispy fried shallots!
Seriously Good Apple Salad
This apple salad with celery and fennel is one of my favorite fall salad recipes. Its creamy dressing and toasted pecans make it a perfect side dish or holiday salad!
Best Broccoli Slaw
This easy broccoli slaw recipe has the best creamy dressing, crunchy broccoli, crunchy sunflower seeds, and sweet raisins. Such an easy side dish!
Our Favorite Farro Salad
We love this easy farro salad recipe made with cooked farro, sweet apples, arugula, and a zippy lemon dressing.
Tahini Kale and White Bean Salad
Thanks to a creamy tahini dressing, the salad is plant-based, vegan, and super satisfying.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Crunchy, fresh, and tangy, these quick pickled carrots are about to become your new favorite pickle! Such a welcomed dish to serve at the holidays!
Thanksgiving Soups
Soup is NEVER a bad idea. The two recipes below are perfect for Thanksgiving. I like making them well in advance, then reheating them in a slow cooker for serving.
Butternut Squash Soup
My easy butternut squash soup recipe is unbelievably creamy, satisfying, and flavorful. Our recipe is also naturally vegan!
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
This roasted cauliflower soup recipe is close to my heart. It’s rich and creamy, super easy to make, and tastes amazing!
Our Best Thanksgiving Desserts
Remember when I said that the sides were my favorite part of the meal, well, I might be challenging that notion with the following list of desserts! We recommend 1 dessert for every 6-8 people, but adding an extra sweet dish never hurts!
Tip → Almost every pie recipe I make starts with this all-butter pie crust. It’s my absolute favorite, no-fail crust (and that’s true for many of our readers, just read the reviews on the recipe).
Sweet Potato Pie
This easy homemade sweet potato pie recipe is truly one of the most incredible pies I’ve made. It has a flaky butter crust with a creamy, light sweet potato filling. I cannot wait for you to try it!
Best Apple Pie We’ve Ever Made
This homemade apple pie recipe has perfectly tender apples, the sauce is outrageously delicious, and the flaky crust is out of this world.
Easy Pumpkin Pie
This homemade pumpkin pie recipe has the most delicious filling and the golden, flaky crust is out of this world. Your search for the perfect pumpkin pie is over.
Peanut Butter Pie
This peanut butter pie recipe has an easy chocolate cookie crust and an incredibly delicious no bake filling, this pie is one of our favorites!
Homemade Key Lime Pie
This easy key lime pie recipe has a dreamy, creamy filling, homemade graham cracker crust, and a cloud of whipped cream on top. It’s a keeper!
Homemade Salted Caramels
My buttery salted caramels recipe is easier than you think. These turn out perfectly soft, chewy, and taste incredible.
Easy Apple Tart
This homemade apple tart looks like it came from a fancy bakery, but it’s really easy to make at home. Use my favorite pie crust or puff pastry!
Perfect Apple Cobbler
This is truly the best homemade apple cobbler recipe we have ever made. The easy filling has fresh apples, cinnamon, and maple syrup, and the topping reminds me of a brown sugar cookie with a soft, fluffy, sweet biscuit in the middle.
Perfect Homemade Caramel Sauce
This caramel sauce recipe turns out perfectly every time! Creamy, rich, and the perfect consistency for drizzling over everything! Everyone will LOVE this with ice cream or to add to their slice of Thanksgiving pie!
Thanksgiving Appetizers
I love having something for my guests (and me) to nibble on before the big meal. That way, people can mingle (usually in the kitchen) and chat. Here are some of our favorite shareables. They are always a hit!
Easy Candied Pecans
These candied pecans only takes 10 minutes to make. These are egg-free, gluten-free, and perfect for snacking, salads, and cheeseboards.
The Best Onion Dip
This onion dip recipe is so much tastier than anything you can buy at the store, it always gets rave reviews!
Easy Smoked Salmon Dip
Our smoked salmon dip recipe is incredibly creamy and delicious. I love serving it with thick potato chips, crackers, and sliced bread.
Easy Tzatziki Sauce
This easy tzatziki sauce recipe is unbelievably delicious and super simple to make. It’s a creamy cucumber yogurt dip you can serve with flatbread and fresh veggies.
Mignonette Sauce
If you love oysters, then you need this mignonette sauce recipe in your life. It’s shockingly easy and made with shallots, red wine vinegar, and pepper.
Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
My friends and family go wild for these cheese stuffed mushrooms. This recipe is so easy to make, and the flavors are out of this world!
Best Homemade Hummus
This is my favorite hummus recipe! With a few simple tricks, you can make the best creamy, smooth homemade hummus that’s way better than store-bought.
Brie with Honey and Walnuts
This honey drizzled brie is the perfect addition to your cheese plate or served by itself as an appetizer. It’s always a hit!
Holiday Cocktail and Mocktails
Mulled Cider
This easy mulled cider is my family’s favorite holiday drink! It’s served warm and tastes like apple pie. Instructions for non-alcoholic and mulled cider with rum or bourbon are included in the recipe.
Easy Red Sangria
I love this traditional red sangria recipe with red wine and fresh fruit. It is the best for entertaining, and since it gets better over time, it’s perfect for making ahead.
Grapefruit Paloma Mocktail
I love this easy Paloma mocktail recipe, made with fresh grapefruit, lime, maple syrup, and sparkling water.
Hibiscus Ginger Beer Mocktail
I love this easy hibiscus ginger beer mocktail recipe so much! It’s non-alcoholic, beautiful, has some weight in the flavor department thanks to the hibiscus.
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For more, see all of Thanksgiving recipes or join our free newsletter and get our best seasonal recipes delivered straight to your inbox. Happy cooking! – Adam and Joanne
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